Scales Mound, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Scales Mound is a village in Jo Daviess County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 376 at the 2010 census, down from 401 at the 2000 census.
, about a mile southwest of the present-day village. In 1830 Samuel Scales purchased the original village site from John Sole and built a tavern at the base of the mound along Sucker Trail, a major east-west corridor. The land that the present-day village of Scales Mound is on was purchased from the U.S. government in 1848 by a man named Dunning. Little is known about Dunning or the use of the land until the 1850s.
In 1851 the Illinois Central Railroad
(ICRR) was established and it would become a major factor in the settlement of much of rural Illinois, including Scales Mound. In September 1853, anticipating the arrival of the railroad, the village of Scales Mound was platted by Josiah Conlee and B.B. Provost. During the summer of 1854 track crews from ICRR laid out 20 miles (32.2 km) of track between Scales Mound and Apple River
and trains were running the line the day after completion. With the arrival of the railroad, Scales Mound's first building was constructed in the late fall 1854; a store built by Sherman Eddy.
of 2000, there were 401 people, 164 households, and 108 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,709.5 people per square mile (673.2/km²). There were 188 housing units at an average density of 801.5 per square mile (315.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.25% White, 0.25% Asian, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% of the population.
There were 164 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,294, and the median income for a family was $37,386. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $20,288 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $15,992. About 6.1% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
, and on the Stagecoach Trail
. It has an annual festival, Stagecoach Trail days. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land.
, Minnesota
and Iowa
, the Illinois region is mostly limited to Jo Daviess County and small parts of Whiteside and Carroll County in northwest Illinois. The topography of the area is characterized by hilly terrain and wooded ridges. Common features found in the Scales Mound area include canyon
s, bluffs
, ravine
s and palisade
s.
included). Its mascot is the Hornets.
Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Jo Daviess County is a county located in the northwest corner of U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,678, which is an increase of 1.7% from 22,289 in 2000. Its county seat is Galena....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 376 at the 2010 census, down from 401 at the 2000 census.
History
The original town of Scales Mound was located at the base of an erosional remnant similar to Charles MoundCharles Mound
Charles Mound is a gentle, high hill in northern Jo Daviess County, Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and northeast of Galena. It is the highest natural point in the state; thus, it is considered a highpoint.- Geography :...
, about a mile southwest of the present-day village. In 1830 Samuel Scales purchased the original village site from John Sole and built a tavern at the base of the mound along Sucker Trail, a major east-west corridor. The land that the present-day village of Scales Mound is on was purchased from the U.S. government in 1848 by a man named Dunning. Little is known about Dunning or the use of the land until the 1850s.
In 1851 the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
(ICRR) was established and it would become a major factor in the settlement of much of rural Illinois, including Scales Mound. In September 1853, anticipating the arrival of the railroad, the village of Scales Mound was platted by Josiah Conlee and B.B. Provost. During the summer of 1854 track crews from ICRR laid out 20 miles (32.2 km) of track between Scales Mound and Apple River
Apple River, Illinois
Apple River is a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 366 at the 2010 census, down from 379 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Apple River is located at ....
and trains were running the line the day after completion. With the arrival of the railroad, Scales Mound's first building was constructed in the late fall 1854; a store built by Sherman Eddy.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 401 people, 164 households, and 108 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,709.5 people per square mile (673.2/km²). There were 188 housing units at an average density of 801.5 per square mile (315.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.25% White, 0.25% Asian, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% of the population.
There were 164 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,294, and the median income for a family was $37,386. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $20,288 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $15,992. About 6.1% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
Location
Scales Mound lies at the northwestern tip of Illinois in Jo Daviess County, part of the Driftless Area. Scales Mound is located at 42°28′41"N 90°15′2"W (42.478098, -90.250544) near the highest point in Illinois, Charles MoundCharles Mound
Charles Mound is a gentle, high hill in northern Jo Daviess County, Illinois, near the small town of Scales Mound and northeast of Galena. It is the highest natural point in the state; thus, it is considered a highpoint.- Geography :...
, and on the Stagecoach Trail
Stagecoach Trail
Stagecoach Trail is a historic route through northern Jo Daviess County and western Stephenson County, in the northwest of Illinois. The trail was a part of the larger Galena–Chicago trail that crossed the entire state....
. It has an annual festival, Stagecoach Trail days. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land.
Topography
Scales Mound is located in a region of the U.S. Midwest known as the Driftless Area, so called because it escaped glaciation during the last ice age. Covering parts of Illinois, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, the Illinois region is mostly limited to Jo Daviess County and small parts of Whiteside and Carroll County in northwest Illinois. The topography of the area is characterized by hilly terrain and wooded ridges. Common features found in the Scales Mound area include canyon
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
s, bluffs
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
, ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s and palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
s.
Climate
Education
Scales Mound has one K-12 school (high schoolScales Mound High School
Scales Mound High School, or SMHS, is a public four-year high school located at 210 Main Street in Scales Mound, Illinois, a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. SMHS serves the community and surrounding area of Scales Mound...
included). Its mascot is the Hornets.